How to Build Networked Coalitions

Introduction

When multiple groups and organisations come together to work on a campaign, they often opt to collaborate together in a coalition. Coalitions, however, have garnered a reputation for causing campaigners headaches due to their frequently slow, bureaucratic and top-down decision-making processes. In this guide, we look at an alternative way of building powerful collaborative campaigns.

Networked coalitions, also called “networked campaigns”, harness the power of networks to develop more agile, dynamic and distributed campaigning coalitions that have proven themselves to be remarkably effective at building and channelling collective power.

Contents

• Disclaimer / request for your help 2
• Summary 2
• Why do we need to do coalitions differently? 2
• Who’s doing networked coalitions well? 3
• What do networked coalitions look like and how can they benefit a campaign? 4
• When this might not work for you 6
• What this requires (people, resources, etc.) 6
• Setup steps/ stages 12
• What success looks like for a networked coalition 15
• Tricky parts/ fixes 16
• Further resources 20
• Attribution 21

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Building Networked Coalitions

About the Author

Blueprints for Change is an open library of advocacy how-to’s put together by campaign innovators in order to help progressive organizers and groups up their game more quickly. Their how-to guides are put together by campaign innovators in order to help progressive organizers and groups up their game more quickly. The “blueprints” capture, communicate and inform innovative campaigning strategies and tactics.

Explore Further

• A Field Guide for Network Managers (NetCentric Campaigns)
• Embracing Networks (New/Mode)
• Network Weaver Resources
• Network Weaver Handbook (June Holley)
• Give each cook their own kitchen: Beating classic coalition campaign challenges (MobLab)
• Five Principles for Building Powerful Coalitions
• Coalition Building: Start Here – Resources in the Commons Library
• Why coalition building isn’t about the coalition: Listening, leading, and making change happen
• Blueprints for Change Guides in the Commons Library